Walter h



W. H. BOWES. ADJUSTABLE FEED AND DELIVERY PLATES AND ARTICLE TRACK.APPLICATION man 02c. 10,1918- RENEWED APR. 29. 1920.

1,367,794. Patented Feb.8,1921.

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W. k v 2 I IIiIIIIIIIIII/l WA UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER H. BOVIES, OF GEEENVJ'ICH, CONlIECTICUT.

ADJUSTABLE rnnn ennnsrrvnnv PLATES AND ARTICLE-TRACK.

Application filed December 10, 1918, Serial No. 266,111.

To {/ZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER H. Bowns, asubject of the King of (ire-at Britain, residing Greenwich, in thecounty of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Adj ustable Feed and Delivery Plates andArticle-Track; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a novel improvement particularly designed for use inconnection with so-called stamp-canceling and postmarking machines,envelop sealing machines, and other machines designed to operate upon anumber of articles, such as letters, checks, packages or otherobjects-that are passed successively by or through the printing,sealing, stamping or other mechanism or mechanisms operating thereupon.

The principal object of the invention is to provide novel means wherebythe track or support along which the letters or other objects travel inpassing to the operating means, or to and from such means, can bereadily adjusted so that the said operating means can be caused tooperate thereon at the desired point, either higher or lower thereon asdesired. For instance, as applied to stamp canceling and postmarkingmachines, the track can be adjusted so that the printer will imprint theletters at any desired point, which is a great advantage in postmarkingmachines, as it is sometimes desirable to print on the upper parts ofthe letters or articles at one time, at another time on the central partthereof, and at still another time to print thereon near the lower edgesthereof.

I will explain the invention as used in connection with a postmarkingand stamp canceling machine; and applied thereto the invention enablessuch a machine to be readily adjusted to make the impressions on theletters in any desired position without having to shift the position ofthe die or printing roller, inker-,.feeding mechanism, etc, and theinvention in brief provides an adjustable supporting means or track forguiding and supporting the letters or packages and directing them to andthrough the separating, forwarding, printing and delivering devices; andin the preferred form of the invention,as applied to postmarking ma,-

Spccification of Letters Patent.

Renewed April 29, 1920. Serial No. 377,690.

chines,the feed table, the letter track and delivery table arepractically unitary and are vertically adjustable as a unit relative tothe sorting, separating, forwarding, printing and delivering devices,and they can be readily adjusted as a unit to cause the letters orarticles to be presented to said devices in such position as will insuretheir being marked at the desired position relative to the heightthereof.

This invention provides a very simple means for enabling different sizesof letters or packages to be properly marked in such machines; whereas,in existing machines of this kind, it has been heretofore necessary to lngthen the shafts and adjust the printing member and ink roller toinsure that the impressions will be made upon the letters in the desiredpositions.

The invention may be .used in connection with means for printing,marking or otherwise operating upon letters or small packages, postalcards, envelope, checks and other objects, and I will hereafter forconvenience merely refer to these by the general term article intendingthereby to include any article or thin which could be operated upon bymachines to which the invention is applied.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a so-called Universal machinefor canceling and postmarking mail, but as above stated the invention isapplicable to various other types and kind of machines, and only so muchof the Universal machine as is necessary to impart a clear understandingof the invention is illustrated; and when understood it may be readilyapplied to various other types of machines by those skilled in the art.i

The accompanying drawings conventionally illustrate a stamp cancelingand postn arking machine with one embodiment of my invention appliedthereto, and I will eX- plain the invention in. connection with thesaiddrz'iwings and refer to the claims for summaries of the inventionand the novel features and combinations of parts for which protection isdesired.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a conventional top plan view of a stamp cancelin andpostmarking machine with my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3, Fig. .1;

Fig. 4 is a detail section on the line l4, Fig. 1.

In the drawings 1 designates the table, or top part, of the machine,which may be mounted on any suitable support; and from this table raisevarious shafts 2, 3, A, 5, 6, and 7 upon which are respectively mountedthe feed roller 2, the separating roller 3*, the for arding rollers 4,impression roller 5, printer (i and stacker wheel 7, which parts: may beconstructed and arranged to operate as in the Universal machine abovereferred to, and do not require any detailed explanation herein.

The feed table or plate A upon which the articles to be operated arestacked is shown as provided with a rear guard. or fence I) as usualadjacent the feed wheel 2 and with a side guard or fence E as usualadjacent the separator wheel 3 The fences D andE may be of any suitableconstruction as commonly used in such machines.

Said feed plate A underlies the rollers 2 3 as well as the mainactuating wheel 8 in the construction shown; but instead of the plate Abeing mounted directly upon the table 1 it is fastened to an adjustablesupport or spiuer H, which is provided with a shank I that dependsthrough an opening in the table 1 and through a socket member J attachedto said table, and said shank may be adjustably fastened in the socketby a set screw K, so as to support the feed plate at any desired heightrelative to the table 1.

The delivery table or plate B underlies the stacker wheel 7 and carriesthe usual fence or 'uard F and stacker wheel 'uard G, and the usualdevices for receiving the articles after they have been printed. Thisdelivery plate B instead of being attached directly to the table 1 ismounted upon a support or spider H provided with a shank I that extendsthrough an opening in the table 1 and through a socket member J attachedto the table 1, and is adjustably secured to the member J by a screw K.

Intermediate and formed with or connected with the plates A and B andfastened thereto so as to form a unitary structure therewith is a plateC forming a letter track, which plate as shown lies below the wheel 8,rollers i and 5 and printer 6. This track plate 6 if sufficiently wideis perforated for the passage of the shafts carrying sa'id rollers andprinter. As shown the ends of track plate C are supported on flanges a,b on the edges of plates A and B respectively and secured thereto by setscrew 0.

The plates A, B, C and the spidersH, H form a practical unit; and thisunit may be adjusted vertically, relatively to the underlying top 1 andthe overlying parts 2 3*, 4*, 5 6, 7 and 8 without disturbing any ofsaid parts or their operating devices; by first loosening bolts K, Kthen adjusting the parts A, B, C and then resetting the bolts K, K tohold the said parts A, B, C, in adjusted position.

By adjusting plates A, B, G vertically the point at which the impressionor other op eration on the articles will be made by the printer as thearticles pass from the feed to the delivery in the machine can bevaried; and the articles can be presented at any desired level or heightrelative to the printer or operating mechanism. Such adjustment can bemade very quickly, and does not re quire the removal or manipulation oradjustment of any of the shafts or rollers, nor the changing of positionof the printer 6, impression roller 5, and rollers 4:", etc., as thestuds and shafts carrying the said operative parts of the mechanism passfreely through openings or slots made in the parts A, B, and C at therequired points.

As stated the parts A, B and C practically form a unitary structurepreferably extend ing throughout the entire length of the article travelin the machine, and such unitary structure can be raised or loweredbodily by releasing the screws K, K and secured when adjusted bytightening such screws. This renders it possible to quickly adjust thestructure so that the articles will be presented to have the impressionsor op erations made at the desired position there on as they passthrough the machine, as above pointed out.

Claims:

1. In combination means for operating upon articles, an article trackupon which the articles are supported and move longitudinally thereofwhile being operated upon, and means for vertically adjusting saidtrack.

2. In combination means for operating upon articles, an article trackupon which the articles are supported and move longitudinally thereofwhile being operated upon, and means for adjusting said track relativelyto said operating means.

In combination means for operating upon articles, article feeding means;an article track, and means for vertically adjusting said track andfeeding means independently of and relatively to the operating means.

i. In combination means for operating upon an article, means for feedingand delivering the articles; an article track; and means for verticallyadjusting said track and feeding and delivering means independently ofand relatively to the operating means.

5. In combination means for operating upon an article; a feed plate, anintermediate article track adapted to support the article being operatedupon; and means for adjusting said feed plate and track relatively tothe operating means.

6. In combination means for operating upon an article; a feed plate, adelivery plate, an intermediate article track adapted to support thearticle being operated upon; and means for adjusting said teed plate;delivery plate, and track relatively to the operating means.

'7. In a machine for postmarking and cancelin stamps and the like, aprinter and means for operating said printer; an article track extendingpast the printer and upon which the articles are supported and movelongitudinally thereof while being operated upon by the printer, andmeans for ad- ,justing said track independently of and relatively to theprinter.

In a machine for postmarking and canceling stamps and the like havingfeeding means; a printer and means for operating said printer; anarticle track, and means for vertically adjusting said track relativelyto the feedim means and printer.

9. In a machine for postmarking and canceling stamps and the like havingfeeding and delivery means, a printer and means for operating saidprinter; an article track, and means for vertically. adjusting saidtrack independently of and relatively to the feeding and delivery meansand printer.

it). In a machine for postmarking and canceling stamps and the likehaving means for operating upon an article; a feed plate,

a delivery plate, an intermediate articletrack connected with saidplates and adapted to support the article being operated upon; and meansfor adjusting said feed plate, delivery plate and track relatively tothe operating means.

11. In a machine for postmarking and canceling stamps and the like, afeed plate; a delivery plate, a printer and means for operating saidprinter; with an article track between the feed and delivery plates, andmeans for vertically adjusting said feed plate, delivery plate and trackindependently of and relatively to the printer.

12. In a machine for postmarking and canceling stamps and the likehaving feeding means, and delivery means; a printer and means "foroperating the printer: with a feed plate, a delivery plate and anintermediate article track connected with said plates and adapted tosupport the article being operated upon, and means for adjusting saidfeed plate, delivery plate and track independently of and relatively tothe printer.

13. In a machine for postmarking and canceling stamps and the likehaving means for operatin upon an article; a feed plate, an articletrack connected with said plate and upon which the articles aresupported and move longitudinally thereof while be ing operated upon;and means for adjusting said teed plate and track as a unit rela-'tively to the operating means.

l t. In a machine for postmarking and canceling stamps and the likehaving means for operating upon an article; a feed plate, a deliveryplate and an intermediate article track intermediate and connected withsaid plates and adapted to support the article being operated upon, andmeans for simultaneously adjusting said feed plate, delivery plate andtrack a unit independently of said operating means.

15. In a machine -for postmarking and canceling stamps and the likehaving feeding and delivery means, and means for operatin upon anarticle; with a feed plate, a delivery plate and an intermediate articletrack intermediate and connected with said plates and adapted to supportthe article being operated upon, and means for simultaneously adjustingsaid feed plate, delivery plate and track as a unit independently ofsaid operating means.

16. In combination a table and means mounted thereon for operating uponarticles; with a ,t'eed plate; an article track connected with saidplate, said track being adapted to support the articles while beingoperated upon and a support for said plate adj ustably connected withsaid table whereby said plate and track may be adjusted relatively toand independently of the operating means.

17. In combination a table, article feeding means, delivery means, andmeans for operating upon articles mounted thereon; with a feed plate,and an article track connected with said plate, said track being adaptedto support the articles While being operated upon, supports for saidplate adjustably connected with said table top whereby said plate andtrack may be adjusted relatively to and independently of the operatingmeans.

18. In combination, a table, article feed ing means, article deliverymeans, a printer, and means for operating the printer mounted upon saidtable; with a feed plate and an article track connected with said plate,said track being adapted to support the articles while being operatedupon, a spider attached to said plate, and means attached to the tableengaging said spider whereby said plate and rack may be adjustedrelatively to and independently of the printer.

19. In a stamp canceling and postmarking machine, the combination of atable and means for operating upon an article mount- .ed thereon; with afeed plate, a delivery plate, an article track connected with andbetween said plates and adapted to support the article being operatedupon; and supports for said plates adjustably connected with said tablewhereby said plates and track may be adjusted relatively to andindependently of the operating means.

20. In a stamp canceling and postmarking machine, the combination of atable, article feeding means, delivery means, and means for operatingupon articles mounted thereon ;with a feed plate, a delivery plate, anarticle track connected with and between said plates and supports forsaid plates adjustably connected with said table top, whereby saidplates and track may be adjusted relatively to and independently of theoperating means.

7 21.111 a stamp cancelingand postmarking' machine, the combination of atable, a

ticle feeding means, article delivery means, a printer, and means foroperating the printer mounted upon said table: with a feed plate, adelivery plate, an article track intermediate and connected With saidfeed and delivery plates, spiders attached to said feed and deliveryplates, and means attached t0 the table engaging saio spiders, wherebysaid plates and track may be adjusted relatively to and independently ofthe printer and feeding and delivery means.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing my own, I aflix my signature.

WALTER H. BOWES.

